Feature documentary · In advanced post-production
Shoulder to Shoulder
A heartfelt, deeply human documentary following a group of ordinary people as they drive from Ireland to Ukraine, delivering jeeps, ambulances and vital medical supplies to evacuate wounded soldiers from the front lines and save lives.
Synopsis
Interwoven with the convoy's journey are glimpses of life in Ukraine: the funeral and burial of two fallen soldiers, intimate scenes from the beautiful city of Lviv, and powerful conversations with soldiers, medics and volunteers living through the realities of war.
As the convoy crosses Europe, stopping at war memorials along the way, the film reflects on the true meaning of peace and the horror of past wars. However, as they cross the Ukrainian border, history gives way to the present. The legacy of war is no longer something remembered—it is immediate, personal and impossible to ignore.
How the film developed
One journey became three.
The project began in September 2025 when Shane was invited to travel with a humanitarian convoy from Ireland to Ukraine and make a documentary about the journey.
What began as an immediate opportunity to document one convoy developed through continued access, two further production trips and the relationships formed along the way. The story was discovered through production rather than fixed in advance.
Ireland to Ukraine
The convoy.
Vehicles, medical supplies and ordinary people choosing to make the journey themselves.
Life in Ukraine
Beyond the delivery.
The film stays with the people living, working and volunteering through the realities of war.
Memory and the present
Impossible to ignore.
Memorials to earlier wars give way to the immediate human cost of the war in Ukraine.
Behind the scenes
Making Shoulder to Shoulder.
Old Mill Pictures production
Built through access, observation and trust.
Commissioned by The Bridge and Planetary Arts, an initiative of the World Academy of Art and Science, the documentary is being produced by Old Mill Pictures. The work has included observational filming in rapidly changing conditions, interviews, multi-camera coverage, footage management and long-form post-production.
In 2026, the work has continued through the long-form edit, recording Chervona Kalyna with the Kilkenny Ukrainian Grono Choir at Lindwick Studios, and a private screening at Dundrum Cinema on 19 May.
- Director, cinematographer and editor
- Shane Hatton
- Producer
- Stephen Byrne
- Additional Cinematography
- Diarmuid O'Riordan
- Additional Cinematography
- Oscar Dillon-Moloney
The film remains unreleased and in advanced post-production. The current work is focused on completing the edit, rights and music clearances, final sound and colour, and the release path.
Documentary production & collaboration
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Old Mill Pictures develops documentary projects from the first conversation through production, long-form editing and final delivery.
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